Signoe to e



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- W. W. EVANS.

' TYPBWRITING MAGHINE. No. 374,046. Patented Nov. 29,1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR I By his flmmZ (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. W. EVANS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 374,046. Patented Nov. 29, 1887 IIIHHHI'.

INVENTOR WWrrzlngtomZFz/Ws 1 7 .By hi/s Attorneys 24% N, PETERS, Phm-uma m m. wnmngmn, o; c

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. W. EVANS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Nam-29, 1887. F,1 g,6

IHIHIIHIHHHII ll WITNESSES- INVENTOR If I WWwrbngfion/Ev-wns,

6x), Z17, 13 7013s flttnrneys N PETERs-Fnom-Lixnc m her. Washingmn, D c.

(No Model.)

'4 Sheets-Sheet 4. W. W. EVANS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE;

Patented Nov. 29, 1887.-

U m. I

I HIHHHHH I I I H INVENTOR WITNESSES 190 By 7111).? 1/1 ttorneys flf Nv PETERS. Ihul o-Lflhagmpher. Washington, D: C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. WARRINGTON EVANS, on WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, AS-

SIGNOR TO E. FRANCIS RIGGS, T. LAWRASON RIGGS, ARTHUR T. BRIOE, JOHN A. BAKER, AND HENRY A. SMITH, ALL OF SAMEPLAGE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 374,046, dated November 29, 1887.

Serial No. 163,854. (No model.) 7

T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that LW. WARRINGTON EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at W'ashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Type-VVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the ac companying drawings. I 4

Myinventionrelatestoimprovementsintypewriting machines ofthe classin which a moving type-form is brought into desired position and then depressed by means of a suitablypivoted hand lever orkey; and it consists in attaching the type-form and its supporting-frame near to the pivotal point of the telescopic lever, which is provided atits free end with a swiveled hand piece or key, which may be placed upon any one of a series of projections, and with such a system of connections that the character indi- 2o cated by the projection under the key shall be, by the action of bringing the hand-lever to the above-described position, ready to be impressed upon the paper and next in line to the character last printed, the depression of the key then impressing said character upon the paper.

ltalso relates to improved spacing mechanism and to a better form of escapementfln addition to which the various parts of my ma- 0 chine have been arranged with special reference to simplicity, durability, and economy, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved typewriter. Fig. 2 is plan view of the carriage on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the working parts of the machine on the lines 3 3 of Figs. 2 and 4. Fig. 4. is an in- 0 verted plan View of the carriage and the feed mechanism, some of the parts being broken away for the purpose of better illustration. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, on the lines 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail showing 5 the spacing-board in section and the method of attachingit to the spacing mechanism. Fig. '7 is a detail showing the mechanism for adjusting the range of movement of the paperspacing lever. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are details 51 of the construction of the feed-rack.

Similar letters denote like parts. A represents an exterior casing, which is to the angle most convenient to the operator by means of an adjustable prop, A, also contained in the box A.

The frame which supports the working parts of the apparatus consists of the end pieces, B B, to which are secured at opposite extremities the rack-bar B and a side piece, B which together form a rectangular frame, within which is mounted the paper-roller B and the printing-platen or paper-bed B*, which latter is preferably formed of an angular strip and is located on substantially the same plane as the upper surface of the roller. To arod, B also secured to the end pieces, is attached a thin metallic guide or shield, B, which is curved to correspond with and located immediately in front of the said roller, the paper being inserted between the said shield and the roller, and secured in position with any I from the outside, where it is provided with a set-screw or notched spindle terminating in a button, B by which the spring is forced into position against the shield. The shield B is provided with a graduated scale, I), at its upper edge, which scale corresponds to a similar one, I), attached to the frame of the box, and by means of which and a suitable indicator carried by the carriage the paper can be ad juste'd so as to place any predetermined point below the printing-orifice.

The feed-bar B is formed of an exterior brass tube, bZwhich is first notched, as shown in Fig. 8, after which a tinned-steel wire, 6 is inserted, and by the application of the requisite degree of heat the two are permanently united, thus forming a cheap, strong, and durable rack-bar.

O is the carriage, and it is provided with lugs 0, through which passes the rack-bar, upon which said lugs have free lateral motion, at the same time acting as a hinge for the carriage as a whole, the opposite end of the carriage merely resting upon the side piece, B

The carriage O is, as indicated in Fig. 2, in the form of a shallowbox comparatively narrow and of a length only slightly exceeding the width of the frame. The top U is hinged and carries the type-form, key-lever, indicatorplate, printing mechanism, spacing-key, and a connection between the spacing and printin g mechanisms, and can at any time be raised to give access to the interior, within which is located the inking-pad and a portion of the spacing mechanism, the remainder of the above-mentioned mechanism being secured underneath the lower portion, V, and, through the carriage being hinged upon its main support, is thereby rendered readily accessible. In order to propel this structure laterally as the characters are impressed upon the paper, I use a coiled spring inclosed within a barrel, C the periphery of which is provided with gear-teeth C This barrel,being pivoted to the carriage by means of a screw, C, passing therethrough, the teeth (3 engaging the rack B as the barrel rotates the carriage, will be moved laterally to the end of the frame.

The barrel is normally prevented from rotating by means of an anchor, D, which en circles a suitable portion of its periphery,and isprovided wit-h pallets d, which extend between the teeth C". This anchor is pivoted upon the screw D, fixed to the carriage, and from which point extends alever,D,by means of which an oscillating motion can be imparted to the anchor, which, by alternately in serting and withdrawing the pallets from between lhe teeth 0", will liberate the barrel 0 one tooth at each oscillation of the anchor. From the lever D extends a crank-rod, D, which is provided with cranks d at either end, one engaging the lever D and the opposite one a horizontallypivoted lever, D, which is pivoted to the side of the carriage at d' and extends forward to a point beneath a rockshaft, D which extends across the front end of the carriage, and to which is detachably secured the spacing-board D.

The rock shaft D being provided with a tappet, d resting upon the free end of the lever D, each time the spacing-board D is depressed and the roclcshaft turned the lever I) will be depressed and the crank-rod D partially rotated, which movement will oscillate the anchor and reverse the position of the pallets, which will release one of the teeth (3, allowing the spring wit-hin the barrel to move the carriage one degree.

A retracting-spring, s, is located below the spacing-lever D", (shown in Fig. 5,) and a small coiled spring, 5 may be attached near the extremity ofone of the arms of the anchor for the purpose of returning it to its normal posi tion, and at the same time accelerating the return movement of the spacing mechanism.

In addition to the spacing-board D, I provide one or more spacing-keys, D, which are to be located at either or both sides of the top of the carriage, and are intended more especially to be operated by the little finger of the hand with which the operator manipulates the key-levcr when such a movement would be more convenient than the use of the operators otherhand upon the spacing-board. The spacing'key is connected to the lever D by a suitable shank,which is slitted to fit over the said lever and to allow of its being removed therefrom by the raising of the top U.

The rock-shaft D is provided with enlargements in at two or more points in its length, and these enlargements are perforated at right angles-to the axis of said shaft for the reception of pins at, extending from the spacingboard D", by means of which it is detaehably secured in its operative position and from which it can be readily removed to decrease the width of the instrument when economy of box-space is desirable.

In addition to the aforesaid connections. which, as described, are for the purpose of spacing when no characters are being impressed upon the paper, I provide a second cranlcrod, D, which is also mounted in bearings secured to the under side of the top of the carriage, one crank, (1, being connected with the main lever D of the spacingmechanism,while the other end, (P, is bifurcated and fitted around the printing-plunger, by which the type-form is depressed upon the paper. In this manner spacing is secured with each depression of the type, it being understood that the number and size of the teeth upon the barrel (1 and the rack B correspond, and that the teeth are also of a size proportioned to the space required for any of the characters. The carriage having been fed to one end of the frame must be returned by hand, and the force necessary to do this is sufficient to wind the actuating-spring ready for a repetition of the movement. In order to free the barrel Cflthe anchor D is provided with a hinge joint, which allows the arms to be moved at right angles to their pivotal support D.

A rod, E, is mounted on the under side of the carriage and provided with athumb-piecc, 6, extending upward from the edge thereof, and with a suitable spring by means of which it is held in position. The inner end of the rod E is formed with an inclined surface, (1', the thin edge of which normally extends just below one of the arms of the anchor. A fixed thumb-picce, c, is secured to the upper surface of the carriage at either side, and it will be evident that when the two extensions are grasped between the thumb and finger the wedge 0 will be forced forward, depressing the anchor sufficiently to free the pallets from the teeth 0, which will allow the carriage to be moved back the entire distance or any desired portion thereof. A spring, d", is coiled around or otherwise attached to the pivot C, and serves to return the anchor to its normal position of engagement with the teeth 0' the moment the thumb-pieces are released.

At the lower portion of the carriage, the part farthest from the rack-bar B, is fixed an indicator-plate, H, upon the surface of which are arranged semi spherical projecting letterstops h, and these projections are arranged on concentric lines and are all in the field of movement of the key, the under portion of which may be easily and quickly placed upon the desired projection. The plate H and letter'stops h are preferably cast in asingle piece of glass, which can then be attached by suitable corner screws to' the top of the carriage. A printed card, or other device indicating what is represented by each of the said stops, is to be placed below the plate H, or the said characters can be engraved or cast in the stops themselves.

The devices by means of which the characters are impressed upon the paper consist, generally speaking, of a flexible type-form ineluding all the characters it is proposed to use,

the characters F being assembled upon the under side of a sheet of rubber, F, which sheet is permanently secured within a light metallic frame,f. removably secured within a moving frame, F Upon the upper side of the lower portion, V, of the carriage is placed an inking-pad, F which lies in the path of the type-form and is provided with a centrally-located aperture, F, through which the desired character is projected against the paper, the remaining characters being brought into contact with the inking-pad at each depression of the form. At the farther side of the carriage is mounted a bifurcated lever, G, which is arranged to have both lateral and vertical movement. and is provided at its point of support with a broad bearing or hinge, 9, said hinge being supported upon a pivot-pin, G, which, being provided with adjustable bearings gg, passing through the upper surface of the carriage or through a boss or extension formed thereon, can readily be kept free from undesirable lateralmotion.

The bifurcated lever G isprovided with a freely-moving telescopic extension, G, which carries a pivoted key, K, at its outer end, which key is formed with a cup-shaped projection, g", at its under side. The extension G is formed of two small tubes adapted to slide freely upon the arm of the lever G, the

said tubes being united by a thin sheet of metal, 9, extending between them, the whole forming a telescopic key-leverwhich is at once very light and stiff and capable of being easily kept within the desired field of motion.

To the rear end of the sliding extension G is attached a depending arm, G, to the lower end of which is attached the type-carrying framev F, the said frame being wholly supported by this depending arm. The connection between the type-carrying frame and the key-lever consists of a hinge-joint backed by a spring, 9 which in most positions holds said-hinge quite rigidly, but is sufficiently elastic to allow the slight yielding motion which is necessary in certain positions of the lever and the type-form.

The upper plate of the carriage G is suitably apertured, so as to give the arm G3 entire freedom of motion in any position, the letterstops and type being so placed, respectively,

that the key may advance or recede and also move laterally, so as to be placed upon any one of them, which said movement, being communicated to the type-form through the arm G brings the character corresponding to the one under the key to theaperture Fin the inking-pad, where the paper is waiting for the impression.

At a point about the center of the carriage is formed a suitable boss, which is perforated andifitted with the vertically-moving plunger I, provided with an elliptical slot in its upper portion. This plunger is attached, by means of suitable lugs and a cross-pin,to the free arm of a supporting-frame, J, which surrounds the opening through which the key-lever is connected to the type-frame, its two extremities being pivoted to lugs J upon the upper plate of the carriage. A coiled spring, L, surrounds the upper portion of the plunger and serves to hold it and the frame J against the under side of the key-lever with sufficient force to sustain the same above and clear of the letter-stop h until forcibly depressed. A cross-pin, t, is inserted in the lower portion-of the plunger I to prevent its being raised too far by the 1 spring L.

The side arms of the frame Jv extend along two of the sides of the triangular opening through which the type-form is operated, and a third arm, to which the plunger I is secured, extends entirely across and beyond the third side of the aforesaid opening, so that it is always in the path of the key-lever, which will operate to depress the plunger no matter what its position.

All the movements, both lateral of the earriage and compound of the type-form, are affected by the manipulation of the key K to an arm, depending from which the type-form is secured, and this combined radial and circular motion is transmitted directly and without the intervention of'any series of levers that would require more force to move them in some positions than in others.

As already described, the arrangement of the characters upon the type-form and the letter-stops upon the indicatonplate H is such that the movement of the key to bring it above any one of the stops it brings the correspond ing character into alignment above the printing-opening F. The plate H is fixed to the upper surface of the carriage and has no independent movement,the type being depressed by the downward motion of the key-lever, which is communicated to said types by the plunger I, which latter, being secured to the frame J, is at all times subject to the action of said lever and directly above the printingopening. The spacing mechanism is also operated by the depression of the plunger I, except when it is desired to move the carriage without depressing any of the type either to begin a new line or to form blank spaces, when the spacing key or board can be used as most convenient. By means of the thumbpieces 6 c and mechanism connected there with, as described, the feed mechanism is dis connected at the end of each line or position of a line and the carriage forcibly impelled along the rack-bar back to its first position, the backward movement of the carriage being sufficient to rewind the spring within the barrel.

According to my invention the carriage has no vertical motion, and instead of a lever ilr serting a movable point into an aperture and then depressing the entire carriageas,for instance, in the well-known Hall inachineI move the free end of a pivoted lever to a position directly over the letteustop, which inthe roller, the paper P being then inserted from below and passed over the printingplaten B. The shield is then moved up against it and the spring 13 secured against the outside thereof.

To one end of the axis M of the roller B is secured a ratchet, A, and a lever, 0, provided with a suitable pawl, 91, is also mounted upon the axis M, said pawl engaging the ratchet N.

A sprin Q, suitably connected to the frame I3, is coiled around the axis and then secured to the lever O, and serves to retract it. to its original position. By raising the lever the roller will be rotated to a greater or less extent, and a new surface thereby be presented to the printing devices. The extremity of the axis Mis provided with a button, It, by which the roller may be turned as desired.

A segmental rack, S, carrying a graduated scale representing portions of the surface of the roller, is secured in proximity to the lever 0,-and a movable pin, T, preferably a small piece ofspring-wire coiled once or twice around the axis M and extending into the path of the lever, is so arranged that its free end may be placed in any one of the graduations ot' the scale S, and when so placed will serve to limit the motion of the lever O and the consequent rotation of the rollerB to an extent cquivalent to the distance desired between the lines of printing.

What I claim is- 1. In a type-writing machine, a telescopic key-lever consisting of a hinged and pivoted portion and an end piece longitudinally movable thereon, and a type-form secured directly to said end piece and moving in accordance therewith, as set forth.

2. In a type -writer, a pivoted telescopic key-lever consisting of a hinged and pivoted portion and an end piece longitudinally movable thereon, said end piece being provided at its free end with a suitable key, substantially as set forth.

3. In a type-writer, the combination, with the carriage O, ofa fixed indicator-plate having projections upon its surface, a pivoted telescopic key-lever, the free end of which is capable of radial and circular movement over the indicator-plate, a type-form suspended from the end portion of said lever and arranged to be brought thereby into position for printing, and also to be depressed by the movement of placing the key upon the desired projection of the indicatorplate, as set forth.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combination, with the carriage having an indicatorplate attached to its surface, of a pivoted keylever having a telescopic end portion, a typeform secured to said end portion and adapted to be brought into position for printing the desired character by the movement of the said telescopic lever incident to placing the key above the desired character-indication, and means, substantially as described, operated by said key-lever,for depressing the character for printing.

5. In a type-writer, the combination of the carriage having character-indications upon its surface, a pivoted key-lever having a telescopic. end portion, a verticallyanoving plunger 10- 'ated above a printing-opening and attached to and supported by a guide-arm located in the path of the key-lever, and a type-form suspended from the end portion of the lever and adapted to move freely between the plunger and the printing-opening and to be brought into position for printing the desired character and then depressed by the movement of the key-lever incidental to placing the key upon the desired character-indication, substantially as described.

6. In a type-writing machine, aearriage, C, having indicator projections upon its surface, a movable type-form, a hinged and pivoted key-lever provided with a telescopic end portion having longitudinal and circular motion, and to which the type-form is secured, and a plunger suspended above an aperture in the lower surface of the carriage and in the path of the key-lever, whereby when the type-form has been brought to the desired position the depression of the lever incident to placing the key upon the desired projection will be communieated to the plunger and the character will be projected through the printing-aperture, substantially as described.

7. In a type-writing machine of the kind described, the combination, with the laterallymoving carriage carrying an indicator-plate and an operating-key, ot' a blank spacingboar'd extending along the lower edge of said carriage and attached to a rock-shaft mounted within the carriage, and provided with a tappet which acts directly against the tripping mechanism, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the intermittently-moving carriage, and means, as described, for propelling the same laterally, of a keylever, a type-form, a plunger located above said type-form and actuated by the depression of the lever, and mechanism consisting of the levers D D D and the anchor D, to which said levers are connected, for releasing the propelling mechanism at each depression of the plunger, as set forth.

9. The combination, with therack-bar B,of the carriage 0, supported thereon, the barrel having teeth 0 engaging the rack-bar, a suitable spring secured to the pivot of the barrel, an escapement-anchor, D, engaging the teeth of the barrel, and mechanism, substantially as described, for vibrating the anchor and releasing the barrel, one tooth at a time,

with each depression of the printing-plunger or the spacing-board, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the carriage, of the rack-bar B, the barrel O and the anchor D, provided with a hinge-joint, D", and retracting-spring d, the thumb-pieces e 6 and the rod E, havingv a retracting-spring and an inclined end, 6, extending under the anchor D, whereby the latter may be forced out of engagement with the teeth 0 substantially as set forth.

11. In a type-writer, an indicator-plate formed with fixed semi-sphericalprojections,

0 substantially as set forth.

12. In a type-writer, the indicator-plate H, having semi-spherical projections, the whole being formed from a single plate of transparent material, substantially as described.

13. In a type-writer, the combination, with an indicator-plate, H, having semi-spherical projections h, formed integral therewith and of transparent material,of means,substantially as described, for indicating the characters represented by the said projections.

14. The combination of the movable typeform, the key-lever having a telescopic end portion for controlling and actuating the same, the plate containing the printing-opening and provided with the inkingcushion, and the vertically-moving plunger secured to a crossbar located in the path of the key-lever for press ing the type upon the ink-cushion and the paper at each depression of the lever, substantially as described.

15. In a type-writing machine, a pivoted key-lever provided at its free extremity with a swiveled key-button or finger-piece, substantially as set forth.

16. In a type-writing machine,the combination, with a keyboard having fixed semispherical projections or character-points, of a pivoted key-lever provided at its free extremity with the swiveled key-button or fingerpiece K, formed with cup-shaped lower portion, 9, adapted to fit over the projections on the key-board, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. W. WVARRINGTON EVANS. Witnesses:

FRANKLAND J ANNUS, J M. YZNAGA. 

